Fran continues to run the program proactively
A few days after making national headlines with a unique Spring Camp proposal, Fran Brown and Syracuse Orange football are staying active with some more concrete news.
SU is adding 41-year-old Josh Gattis to its coaching staff for the upcoming season. A native of Durham, NC, Gattis has extensive experience as a college coach – he’s been the offensive coordinator for Maryland, Miami, and Michigan, as well as an offensive assistant for Alabama, Penn State, and Vanderbilt. He spent his college days at Wake Forest, helping the Deacs win the ACC title and earn an Orange Bowl appearance in 2006.
Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports had the news first:
Josh Gattis is expected to join the staff at Syracuse, sources tell @RJ_cfb and me for @CBSSports/@247Sports.
Gattis, who was Maryland’s offensive coordinator the last two seasons, was previously the OC at Miami and Michigan. Before that, he worked at Alabama and Penn State.… pic.twitter.com/NyE4znRm2p
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) March 19, 2025
Gattis has since retweeted Syracuse Spring Game posts, so take that as some confirmation.
The signing serves as insurance for current OC Jeff Nixon, who built the nation’s top passing offense last season. Much like Nixon, Gattis ran pass-heavy offenses with the Terps the past two seasons – they were No. 1 in the Big Ten in 2023 (278.9 YPG) and No. 3 (275.7) last year.
Although Nixon recently agreed to an extension that makes him one of the ACC’s highest paid coordinators, there’s no guarantee a better offer won’t come around – especially if the Orange offense remains successful in a transitional year. He could draw interest from BIG or SEC programs, as well as the NFL, where he’s spent 15 seasons on five different teams’ staffs.
Gattis could arrive just in time for the start of spring camp – SU’s first practice is on Friday. We’ll keep you updated on what his exact role with the Orange will be.